Comiskey Park

ARTICLES ABOUT COMISKEY PARK BY DATE - PAGE 4

As the Cubs mark the 100th anniversary of their last World Series title, we look at what has happened in the years since. 1918 Out of nowhere, and due in no small part to the fact this was a war year and baseball lost several players to the draft and defense-related industries, the Cubs rolled to the NL pennant with an 84-45 record in a truncated season. Hippo Vaughn, at 30, went 22-10 with a 1.74 ERA. The Red Sox's Babe Ruth beat Vaughn 1-0 in the World Series opener (at Comiskey Park, used because of its greater capacity)

If interleague play had begun in 1977 instead of 1997, a Cubs vs. White Sox summer showdown at old Comiskey Park or at a pre-lights Wrigley Field might have gone down as the most anticipated ever between the crosstown rivals. There never was a time like the summer of '77 ... until now. As is the case today, both teams were in first place as the summer kicked off, with confidence growing daily. Like the tag-team tandem of Ozzie and Lou, both teams were run by crusty old field generals (managers Herman Franks and Bob Lemon)

When the word came Tuesday of Rich "Goose" Gossage's election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, there was also the mention that Gossage likely would enter baseball's shrine wearing a Yankees cap. Fair enough. His greatest years were in New York. But there was a time when he belonged to the White Sox, a time when he took his lumps and a time when he also gave evidence that greatness was in his future. It started in the summer of 1970 at Sarasota in rookie ball. Gossage, then 19, started three games, won each one and struck out 21 while walking four in 16 innings.

If I refer to Wrigley Field as a dump, which I have been known to do, it would be a bit inconsistent if I suddenly became teary eyed at the thought of someone coming in and changing its name. There's a decent chance that if the State of Illinois buys the tired old ballpark from Tribune Co., it will sell the naming rights. Wrigley Field could become something like Donald Trump Park. I'm finding it difficult to work up much emotion about the possibility. I gave up my battle over such things in 2005, a few years after White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, as he is wont to do, sold something to make more money.

City and state officials have had discussions with Cubs executives about possibly selling historic Wrigley Field to a state government entity that currently owns and operates the White Sox's home, U.S. Cellular Field, sources close to the Cubs told the Tribune. The talks with state and city officials centered on selling the 93-year-old facility to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the government unit the Illinois General Assembly created in 1987 for the purpose of building new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field.

When he first came to Chicago in November 1948, with his entire career ahead of him, he was Billy Who. Five years later, he was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game. Two years after that, same thing. A year after that, same thing. No, Billy Pierce wasn't Billy Who for very long. Today, almost 60 years later, he is remembered by thousands of Chicago baseball fans for many reasons: His 211 career victories, 186 of them for the White Sox from 1949 through 1961.

The White Sox have a simple mission for journeymen relievers Bret Prinz and Ryan Bukvich. "Get the job done and you stay," pitching coach Don Cooper said Monday after late-inning specialists Mike MacDougal and David Aardsma were optioned to Triple-A Charlotte following repeated failures. "It's as simple as that. Get the job done and you stay. You don't, and we have to do something." In a span of nine days, the Sox have optioned three relievers who were on their Opening Day roster.